Punch press

ABSTRACT

A punch press has punch and die tooling supported on a pair of turrets carried by a frame, the turrets being surrounded by a workpiece-supporting table which forwardly overhangs the frame, a stylus and workpiece-clamping means are carried on a carriage supported for movement in the X and Y axes on said table, there being a recessed template-supporting table having a forward portion which is selectably pivotable between horizontal and depending positions, by which the effective size of a large machine is converted to a small machine.

Kaufmann 1 June 11, 1974 [54] PUNCH PRESS 3,152,799 10/1964 Daniels 83/413 X [75] Inventor: {[flaggld Kaufmann, Rochester, Primary Examiner prank T Yost Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hill, Gross, Simpson, Van [73] Assignee: Houdaille Industries, Inc., Buffalo, Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson 22 Filed: Apr. 27, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 355,144

[52] US. Cl 83/410, 83/413, 83/565,

[51] Int. Cl B26f 1/02, 826d 7/06 [58] Field of Search 83/413, 410, 565,648

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 931,431 8/1909 Kilgore 83/413 X 2,730,173 1/1956 Brescka 83/413 X A punch press has punch and die tooling supported on a pair of turrets carried by a frame, the turrets being surrounded by a workpiece-supporting table which forwardly overhangs the frame, a stylus and workpiece-clamping means are carried on a carriage supported for movement in the X and Y axes on said table, there being a recessed template-supporting table having a forward portion which is selectably pivotable between horizontal and depending positions, by which the effective size of a large machine is converted to a small machine.

10 C1aims, 2 Drawing Figures PUNCH PRESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a punch press of the type having a stylus for use with a template.

2. Prior Art Punch presses of the single station or turret type typically are provided with a C-frame which has an effective throat size which is defined as the maximum workpiece depth that can be received therein, here the Y- axis. Up to now, the largest stylus-operated punching machine introduced into the market place is believed to handle up to 30 inches of material, namely a workpiece having a 30-inch depth is the largest that can be fed into the throat of that machine. The reason that larger machines of the stylus type have not been marketed is because as a practical matter, there is a limit as to how far an operators hand can reach in pushing the stylus away from him, toward the machine, thus imposing a practical limit as to size of depth. With such a machine, this is true even if smaller workpieces and templates are used, because the clamping area on the workpiece is always relatively close to the stylus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, the punch press is provided with a template-supporting table in a vertical recess which is centrally located in a lateral direction in a workpiece-supporting table that overhangs the frame. The overhanging portion of the templatesupporting table is pivotable between a horizontal position enabling use of the punch press as a large press, and a depending position enabling use of the punch press as a somewhat smaller machine. The addition of the pivotable portion, when lowered, allows the operator to step into the machine, thereby converting the deeper-throat machine into a shorter machine for working on smaller workpieces. The pivotable portion is restored to its horizontal position when parts and templates require the full depth of the machine, at which time the operator will need to stretch when punching holes near the clamping area of the workpiece.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a punch press of the stylus-template type which can be converted selectably into an effectively large punch press or into an effectively small punch press.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a punch press of the stylus-template type capable of handling large workpieces without requiring the operator to stretch a corresponding amount when working on small workpieces.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying drawing in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

ON THEDRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view of a punch press provided in accordance with the principles of the present AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWING The principles of the present invention are particularly useful when embodied in a punch press such as shown in FIG. I, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The punch press 10 includes a C-frame 11 which has upper and lower arms which respectively support an upper turret l2 and a lower turret (not shown) which in turn support relatively reciprocably driven punch and die tooling (not shown as the same is conventional). The press further includes a workpiecesupporting table 13 which extends about the lower turret for supporting a workpiece W between the turrets 12 for being acted thereon by the punch and die tooling. The workpiece-supporting table 13 forwardly overhangs the lower part of the frame 11 for supporting the workpiece W to enable punching at the more remote end of the workpiece. A carriage 14 supports stylus means 15 together with workpiece clamps (not shown) for clamping onto the workpiece W so that the carriage 14 including the workpiece clamping means and the stylus means 15 and the workpiece move or slide as a unit. The carriage 14, the workpiece clamping means and the stylus means 15 are supported for movement in the X-axis on rails (not shown) carried on a cross bar 16 which moves in the Y-axis by being slidably supported on a pair of side rails 17., 18.

As best seen in FIG. 2, a template-supporting table 20 is disposed in a vertical recess 21, the recess 21 being in this embodiment substantially laterally centered in the workpiece-supporting table 13. The template supporting table 20 includes a forward portion 22 which is selectably pivotable between a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 1 and a depending position as shown in FIG. 2. In its depending position, the pivotable table portion 22 is substantially perpendicular to the tables 13,20. To enable the template table portion 22 to pivot, any type of hinge 23 may be employed, the same here being illustrated as being a piano-hinge. If desired, the hinge 23 can provide sufficient friction to maintain the table portion 22 in any position. However, since a workman may be leaning on the portion 22 during use as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that securing means 24, here diagrammatically illustrated as a sliding bolt, be employed for engaging the table portion 22 from below to maintain its selected horizontal position.

The table portion 22 has a lateral extent at least as great as that of the recess 21, thus enabling the operator to stand close to the template for any lateral position of the stylus 15. The table portion 22 has a frontto-rear extent in this embodiment which is equal to the amount of forward overhang of the workpiecesupporting table 13 to enable the accommodation of templates as large as the largest workpieces that can be handled by the machine 10. In this embodiment, the forward or lower edge of the table portion 22 is laterally greater'than the opposite pivoted edge thereof.

Further, the rear or upper edge of the table portion 22 has an extent which is equal or greater than the effective throat size of the frame 11 which, to make maximumuse of the present invention, is equal to or greater than 30 inches.

When the punch press is used as shown in FIG. 1, the operator shoves the stylus 15 away from him to reach the far edge portion of the template T, and as the workpiece W is co-movable therewith, this moves the workpiece W to the rearmost position as shown so as to enable the tooling to work on the nearer edge of the workpiece. As shown, the machine can'when required handle sheets having a depth of 36 inches which at certain times requires the operator to stretch as shown in FIG. 1. However, the same amount of stretch would be necessary for a small workpiece if the machine were alcan be handled with ease without stretching. In this manner, any stretching by the operator required for use with the machine as arranged in FIG. 1 is eliminated when the machine is in effect converted to a small machine in that it is adapted to handle relatively smaller depth workpieces.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A punch press comprising:

a. a frame;

b. relatively reciprocably driven punch and die tooling supported on said frame;

c. a workpiece-supporting table disposed on said frame about said tooling and forwardly overhangg 4 ing said frame;

d. a template-supporting table disposed in a vertical recess in said workpiece-supporting table and having a forward portion selectably pivotable between horizontal and depending positions; and

e. a carriage having workpiece clamping means and stylus means slidably supported on said workpiecesupporting table for horizontal movement in the X and Y'axes.

2. A punch press according to claim I in which said forward portion has a lateral extent at least equal to the lateral extent of said recess.

3. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said forward portion has a front-to-rear extent at said recess corresponding to the extent of forward overhang of said workpiece-supporting table.

4. A punch press according to claim 1 which includes securing means supported below said workpiecesupporting table for maintaining said pivotable portion in the horizontal position.

5. A punch press according to claim I in which said pivotable portion is substantially perpendicular to said tables in the depending position.

6. A punch press according to claim 1 in which the forward edge of said pivotable portion is laterally greater than the pivoted edge thereof.

7. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said frame is a C-frame, the rear edge of said pivotable portion being at least as great as the effective throat size of said frame.

8. A punch press according to claim 7 in which said effective throat size exceeds thirty inches.

9. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said punch and die tooling is carried on a pair of vertically spaced turrets.

10. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said forward portion is disposed centrally along the lateral extent of said workpiece-supporting table. 

1. A punch press comprising: a. a frame; b. relatively reciprocably driven punch and die tooling supported on said frame; c. a workpiece-supporting table disposed on said frame about said tooling and forwardly overhanging said frame; d. a template-supporting table disposed in a vertical recess in said workpiece-supporting table and having a forward portion selectably pivotable between horizontal and depending positions; and e. a carriage having workpiece clamping means and stylus means slidably supported on said workpiece-supporting table for horizontal movement in the X and Y axes.
 2. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said forward portion has a lateral extent at least equal to the lateral extent of said recess.
 3. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said forward portion has a front-to-rear extent at said recess corresponding to the extent of forward overhang of said workpiece-supporting table.
 4. A punch press according to claim 1 which includes securing means supported below said workpiece-supporting table for maintaining said pivotable portion in the horizontal position.
 5. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said pivotable portion is substantially perpendicular to said tables in the depending position.
 6. A punch press according to claim 1 in which the forward edge of said pivotable portion is laterally greater than the pivoted edge thereof.
 7. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said frame is a C-frame, the rear edge of said pivotable portion being at least as great as the effective throat size of said frame.
 8. A punch press according to claim 7 in which said effective throat size exceeds thirty inches.
 9. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said punch and die tooling is carried on a pair of vertically spaced turrets.
 10. A punch press according to claim 1 in which said forward portion is disposed centrally along the lateral extent of said workpiece-supporting table. 